The Effects of Breathing Exercises and Meditation on Quality of Life Among Eye Disease Patients: A Systematic Review.
Michael Huang, Jason Sheng, Brian Yu, Cindy Hutnik, Amardeep Thind, Monali S Malvankar-Mehta
Clinical ophthalmology 2026 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s612746 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with eye diseases |
| Interventions | Meditation Breathing exercises |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Eye disease Quality of life Systematic review |
| Key findings | Meditation and breathing exercises were associated with beneficial effects on quality of life, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in patients with eye diseases, though the evidence is preliminary and limited by study quality and follow-up length. |
Abstract
Those diagnosed with eye disease are at a higher risk for experiencing a decreased quality of life (QOL). Meditation and breathing exercises have been linked with improvements in this area, but research in populations of eye disease patients is relatively scarce. We aim to bridge this knowledge gap by synthesizing the available evidence on the effects of meditation and breathing exercises on QOL in those with eye diseases. A scoping search was performed in PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases up to September 16th, 2025, to find relevant studies for review. Inclusion criteria were experimental studies investigating meditation or breathing exercises on any QOL outcome in populations with any eye disease. Study quality was assessed with the Cochrane Risk-of-bias tool and the Modified Downs and Black Checklist. Of the seven studies, six RCTs and one single-arm trial were included. Five studies examined QOL as an outcome, while four measured anxiety symptoms, two measured depression symptoms, and two measured sleep quality. Overall, beneficial effects of meditation and breathing exercises on these outcomes were found, although there were concerns with study quality and follow-up length. While preliminary findings suggest that meditation and breathing exercises may improve QOL for individuals with eye diseases, additional studies are required to establish the definitive impact of these interventions on the well-being of patients with eye conditions. Studies with longer follow-up times and higher methodological quality would be useful in continuing to explore the effects of these interventions on QOL outcomes.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |